A 25 year-old Jerusalem woman recently arrived in our specially dedicated Corona maternity ward 34 weeks pregnant and presenting with heavy contractions. The staff determined she was in an active stage of childbirth and was immediately transferred to a delivery room set up exclusively for Corona patients.
After several hours of close monitoring, a multi-departmental team naturally delivered twins weighing 1.74 kg (3.82lbs) and 1.73 kg (3.8lbs).
Dr. Netanel Wasserteil, a Senior Obstetrician in the Wilf Woman and Infant Center said, “The birth of twins is always cause for excitement, but also comes with potential for complications particularly at an early stage of the pregnancy. We therefore were prepared for all types of issues but also worked with our team to ensure that the birth would be a positive experience for the family. Immediately after determining that the infants were in stable condition we allowed the parents, including the father who had suited up for the occasion, to hold their babies.”
Rinat Dvir and Efrat Herling, head midwives in the department said, “The mother had been suffering from COVID-19 symptoms including high fever and trouble breathing but was in generally good condition and the birth went ahead nicely. We immediately assessed the twins and saw that all their vital signs were good. We are seeing a growing number of expectant women who are delivering well before their due dates but we’re all working to better understand the exact reason for this trend and to be best prepared to respond accordingly.”
The proud parents summed up their experience saying, “We certainly didn’t plan this type of birth but the staff did everything so that it would be a positive birthing experience. We are very grateful to the Shaare Zedek medical team who helped us through this challenging time and we all look forward returning to our normal lives very soon.”
